Female Genital Mutilation

Baroness Butler-Sloss Excerpts

Thursday 7th November 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord West of Spithead (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)]

My Lords—

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Hill of Oareford) (Con)]

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord West, could not see that a Cross-Bencher behind him wanted to speak.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss]

My Lords, will the Minister ensure that the police and the Crown Prosecution Service put forward far more appropriate prosecutions?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, the Government are as frustrated as I am sure the noble and learned Baroness is by the lack of prosecutions. We welcome the Crown Prosecution Service action plan, published last year with a view to bringing successful prosecutions. The CPS guidance on FGM prosecutions provides a useful framework for prosecutors to understand how to build stronger cases with the police to bring to court. It explains how they need to be aware of the fact that where there is a victim of FGM, the local authority or social services may well have material or information to support that.